Welcome to Kameleon Arts by COOP
Thank you for sharing in this experience with me.
XO - kristin COOPer
MAMA & MSW
coop.kristin@gmail.com
“I’ll be loving you, always…” — As, Stevie the Wonder
ARTIST STATEMENT
Nature is not only our devoted master, but our fierce and fearless lover.
She is balanced and fiery, exotic & powerful. Attempts to capture the beauty unseen or often missed in the simple things - smiles, flowers & colors - creates a fascination for medium mixing and bold innovation.
My work expresses a deep love for color clashing, a spiritual connection to the natural world, a head full of music and a sincere love for humanity.
Each piece has a name & vibe all its own. Just like U + I.
General Information
Kameleon Arts jewelry and painted designs are original and created in my home studio. Most jewelry pieces are handmade by myself, but at times, I hire other women/moms to help produce the interchangeable jewelry when needed. I specialize in custom designs.
Shop Policies
Jewelry is handcrafted and made to order, unless specifically stated “Ready to Ship”. USPS First Class tracking information will be sent when the order is ready to post, within 5 to 7 business days. Jewelry can be exchanged or refunded within 7 days upon receipt of package. Custom orders are final. Shipping is a flat rate of $5 US and $15 International.
Canvas & Textile Art are currently only available for local pick up or delivery (LA or LV areas). All other art is shipped at various prices, which will be agreed upon prior to purchase.
To start the order process, please fill out this form. Feel free to ask for clarity (coop.kristin@gmail.com or 314.322.0733).
Materials
The wire used is Sterling Silver and 14k gold filled. 14k gold filled wire is a layer of 14 karat gold that is permanently heat-bonded to a base metal core (likely brass), which is up to 100,000 times thicker than “gold plated” jewelry. It is usually safe for people with sensitive ears (like me), and will not tarnish.
Gemstones and pearls are natural, unless noted that they are dyed or treated in some way. The majority of them are purchased directly from the cutting factories in Jaipur, India, with whom I have relationships with for over 10 years.
Paints are mostly acrylic. I also use watercolor, fabric or leather paint and ink. Gemstones are often integrated. Glass, fibers and vintage beads are sometimes used in my kreations, as well.
Music
Originals are written and performed by me (Coop). All other music credits are listed.
The Business & Inspiration :: A Timeline Story
2004 - While in my senior year of undergraduate school (shout out to my folks at WashU!!), completing a degree in Psychology, I tried something new and took my first ever “serious” art class - 2D Design. It was then I secretly fell in love with the simplicity of color & form, as well as our ability to express & interpret creatively.
2005 - With my degree in hand and happily in my first year of graduate school (George Warren Brown School of Social Work), I still couldn’t ignore the strong creative internal call towards art - jewelry in particular. I was already a self-proclaimed “earring freak” (my funky earring game is strong, baby) and thought it would be cool to learn how to make them. So, I took a beginning jewelry-making class at a local bead store (Lady Bug Beads - Thanks, Shug!) and I got hooked. A whole new world opened up.
2006 - While finishing up graduate school (MSW, specializing in Children, Youth & Families), I was organically creating earrings and necklace designs with wire and beads. After my confidence grew, I started selling them to framily, at local fairs and, eventually, in boutiques. I felt balanced having the freedom to use my mind and abilities to both create unique & beautiful jewelry, as well as problem-solve and imagine a better future for humanity. Weirdly enough, the two made complete sense to me. I realized that I was a Creator.
2009 - After I made my way to NYC (Brooklyn where you at?!! Harlem, stand up!!), I landed a dream job as the Youth Social Worker at Jacob A. Riis Settlement House in Queensbridge, LIC (ALL my love!!!!). After the grant funding my position wasn’t renewed (the system is trash!), I decided that life was telling me to make a change. So, I put my dreams for humanity on hold, and jumped into my art full force. I opened my first Etsy site, Unique Kreations, and got a sweet gig as a jewlery maker/designer to sharpen and hone my skills and artistic point of view.
2010 - A year later, I was quickly forced, in the best way, to shift my focus to my second shop, (originally Your Unique Kreations, later Swap the Drops), which featured my unique and original line of interchangeable jewelry (funnily enough, inspired by an Exes’s mom…tell ya that story another time…). To my surprise, the interchangeable idea caught on, and before I knew it, I had a full-time business. My line was picked up organically through Etsy to be featured on The Today Show, and that solidified, at least in my mind, that I had stumbled upon something real good…
2015 - For 5 years I ran and grew my business (over 17,000 sales & 6,000+ 5-star reviews on Etsy alone), enjoying the changes in pace and embracing all the bumps, bruises, glory, blood, sweat & tears that comes with running a creative business. Then on August 15th, a beautiful thing happened, and my daughter Nova M. Linzie graced us with her presence on this Earth. What a joy! (She’s a beast!!!) So, I shut down my shops (rather unexpectedly) to take pleasure in raising and spending time with her, including radically homeschooling her for a few years. Best decision I ever made. #libertad
2019 - After the hiatus, I began to feel that same artistic inspiration creeping up I had felt years before, but this time, jewelry wasn’t satisfying it. So on a lucky trip to Vegas I had an impromptu acrylic pour lesson from a friend (hey TL!), and that set me off on a whole new colorful adventure. You can call me Alice in WONDERland (get it? Stevie!! lol). I yearned to paint. So I did. And it felt real good. Still does…
2020 - 2023 - We’ll call these the WTF and recovery years…Music, art and imagination, once again, literally freed and saved me as I painted with nothing in mind. It created a space for pure abstraction, feeling and expression. I didn’t have to be rational. Art rarely is…
2024 - After life settled a bit, I knew it was time to jump all the way back into my creativity and fully claim my role as Artist & Visionary. Not one to limit myself, I decided to combine it all (paintings, jewelry and music…more on that later) into one entity - Kameleon Arts. So, here we are. Welcome, my friend. XO - COOP
2025 - 2/22 :: AS IS :: THE DEMO released
2025 - September :: FALL 2025 KAtalog Release!
www.KAMELEONARTS.com
Kristin “COOP” Cooper
coop.kristin@gmail.com
314.322.0733
:: XO ::